Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview01:03

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview

2.2K
NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
2.2K
Interference and Superposition of Waves01:07

Interference and Superposition of Waves

7.4K
When two waves of the same nature occur in the same region simultaneously, they result in interference. Interference of waves implies that the net effect of the waves is the sum of the individual waves' effects. However, it does not imply that the individual waves affect the propagation of other waves.
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
7.4K
Superposition Theorem01:18

Superposition Theorem

1.7K
The superposition principle is a fundamental concept stating that in a linear circuit, the voltage across (or current through) an element can be determined by summing the individual contributions of each independent source acting in isolation. When dealing with linear circuits containing multiple independent sources, this principle serves as a valuable tool for analysis. To apply the superposition principle effectively, one should focus on a single independent source at a time while...
1.7K
Method of Superposition01:20

Method of Superposition

2.1K
The method of superposition is a crucial technique in structural engineering, used to analyze the effect of multiple loads on beams. This approach involves calculating the deflection and slope for each load on a beam separately, and then summing these effects to determine the overall impact. It is applicable only when the beam material remains within its elastic limit, ensuring that deformations are linearly elastic.
When applying the method of superposition, each type of load—whether...
2.1K
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom02:45

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

61.4K
Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra.
61.4K
The Pauli Exclusion Principle03:06

The Pauli Exclusion Principle

61.0K
The arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom is called its electron configuration. We describe an electron configuration with a symbol that contains three pieces of information:
61.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Equivalence of Discrete and Continuous Otto-like Engines Assisted by Catalysts: Mapping Catalytic Advantages from the Discrete to the Continuous Framework.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Iterative construction ofSp×Spgroup-adapted irreducible matrix units for the walled Brauer algebra.

Reports on progress in physics. Physical Society (Great Britain)·2026
Same author

Geoarchaeological research on site formation process, paleoenvironment, and human behaviors in the early Holocene of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Catalytic enhancement in the performance of the microscopic two-stroke heat engine.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Intermediate-times dilemma for open quantum system: Filtered approximation to the refined weak-coupling limit.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Multi frame holograms batched optimization for binary phase spatial light modulators.

Scientific reports·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 23, 2026

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
07:56

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

9.1K

Creating a Superposition of Unknown Quantum States.

Michał Oszmaniec1, Andrzej Grudka2, Michał Horodecki3

  • 1Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warszawa, Poland and ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.

Physical Review Letters
|April 2, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Creating superpositions of unknown quantum states is limited. A no-go theorem shows universal protocols are impossible, but a specific protocol can generate superpositions with fixed overlaps for quantum computing and optics.

More Related Videos

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

15.2K
Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
06:42

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 23, 2026

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
07:56

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

9.1K
Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

15.2K
Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
06:42

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Quantum Information Theory
  • Quantum Computing
  • Quantum Optics

Background:

  • The superposition principle is fundamental to quantum mechanics.
  • Understanding the limitations on generating quantum superpositions is crucial.
  • Quantum superpositions are vital for quantum computation and information processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the limitations and possibilities of creating superpositions of unknown quantum states.
  • To develop protocols for generating specific types of quantum superpositions.

Main Methods:

  • Proving a no-go theorem to establish fundamental limitations.
  • Developing an explicit probabilistic quantum protocol.
  • Analyzing the protocol's applicability in quantum computing and quantum optics.

Main Results:

  • A no-go theorem demonstrates the impossibility of a universal probabilistic quantum protocol for generating superpositions of two arbitrary unknown quantum states.
  • An explicit probabilistic protocol is presented that successfully generates superpositions of two unknown states with a fixed overlap to a known state.
  • The protocol's potential for generating coherent superpositions in quantum computers and nonclassical/non-Gaussian states in quantum optics is shown.

Conclusions:

  • The creation of general unknown quantum state superpositions is fundamentally restricted.
  • A practical protocol exists for generating specific, useful quantum superpositions.
  • This work has implications for advancing quantum computation and quantum optics applications.